Nursing Fundamentals-Unit 2.01

When working with a pt. and they have a hearing aid you know that it should be removed BEFORE:

• Getting a shower

• Going to Bingo

• going to Physical Therapy

• going outside to see the butterflies

Mary doesn’t respond when you are in her room working, you know that she isn’t sick, so you think that it is maybe her hearing aid not working properly. You know you should check her hearing aid for all the following:

• Tubing is not clogged with wax

• Make sure switch is on “T” for telephone

• Try a new battery

• Make sure it is turned on

All of the following are ways to modify the resident’s environment and improve the resident’s ability to hear EXCEPT:

• Turn off or lower TV volume

• Yell at the patient

• Turn off or lower radio volume

• Close resident’s door

You should slow the rate at which you speak and increase the level of your voice when talking to someone who is:

• Visually impaired

• Hearing impaired

• Aphasic

• Immobile

If you are talking to a person who has a speech impairment and difficulty completing a sentence, you should:

• Offer the person an opportunity to write the word or words you are unsure of

• Smile, nod, and pretend to understand

• Ask the person to start over and try to more slowly and clearly.

• Anticipate what the person is trying to say

Make sure you clean the resident’s glasses with all of the following:

• Windex

• water

• soap

• dry with a clean cloth

When removing a resident’s glasses you should:

• Put the glasses in their case, if available

• Lay glasses down with the side pieces and frame touching the furniture surface

• Lay the glasses on the lens

• Put them in a drawer

How can the nurse aide facilitate communication when talking with someone who is blind?

• Hold the blind person’s arm

• Be very Descriptive when doing procedures

• Ask the resident to write it down

• Speak in a loud voice

A visitor comes to the nursing home to see a resident. The visitor is blind and has a seeing eye dog. What should a healthcare worker do?

• Enforce the rule of no pets allowed

• Put the blind visitor in a wheelchair & take him to visit as planned

• Take the dog’s leash and guide the dog to the patient’s room

• Do not feed, play, or distract the guide dog.

Repeating what you heard and asking yes/no questions are examples of how to communicate with a resident who:

• is blind

• is deaf

• has difficulty speaking

• has some difficulty hearing